Friday, October 4, 2024

Iwao Hakamada: Japan; Amnesty International Petition: Until October 10, 2024, the Chief Prosecutor has the power to reject the acquittal recently delivered after almost half a century of wrongful imprisonment on death row and a further 10 years waiting for his retrial. An Amnesty International petition, which must be signed by October 7, 2024, calls on the government to accept the acquittal, which is based in part on the 'fabrication' by the authorities which sent him to death row for decades. The petition can be signed at the link below. Publishers Note: "The world is watching: A decision by the Japanese Government to launch an appeal on a man of his age in these circumstances (fabrication of key evidence to gain a conviction, a forced confession after 20 days of police interrogation, and exculpatory forensic evidence) would be unthinkable, outrageous, inhumane, cruel and obscene, for a start, and would expose Japan's already discredited justice system to well deserved mockery ad disdain. Iwao Hakamada's name has finally been cleared to the world. Please it that way. Just let it go, as the petition demands." Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.


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DEMAND IWAO HAKAMADA'S ACQUITTAL  IS NOT APPEALED: 

 This petition  must be signed  by October 7, 2024 at:



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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The world is watching: A decision by the Japanese Government to launch an appeal  on a   man of this age in these circumstances (fabrication of key evidence to gain a conviction,  a forced confession after  20 days of  police interrogation, and exculpatory  forensic evidence)  would be unthinkable, outrageous, inhumane, cruel  and obscene,  for a start,  and would expose Japan's already discredited justice system to well deserved mockery and disdain. Iwao Hakamada's  name has finally been cleared to the world.  Please leave  it that way. Just let it go, as the petition demands.

Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PETITION:

"Ensure that the decision to acquit Iwao Hakamada, wrongfully imprisoned on death row for over 45 years is final.

"After enduring almost half a century of wrongful imprisonment on death row and a further 10 years waiting for his retrial, Japan’s Iwao Hakamada has finally been acquitted.

In acquitting Iwao, the Shizuoka District Court recognized that key pieces of evidence were fabricated by investigative authorities to gain a conviction. They included his forced ‘confession’ after 20 days of Police interrogation, and the bloodstained clothes that Iwao had supposedly worn during the crimes and a piece of cloth discovered in Iwao’s home that was identical to the fabric in the bloodstained trousers.

This acquittal verdict is an important recognition of the profound injustice he has endured since he was arrested 58 years ago, for a crime he constantly maintained his innocence of.

But his fight to clear his name, supported unrelentingly by his sister Hideko, could be at risk if the Chief Prosecutor chooses to appeal this decision. The Chief Prosecutor has until October 10, the Day against the Death Penalty, to confirm if he will appeal.

Sign our petition urgently by 7 October 2024 calling on the Chief Prosecutor to accept the acquittal decision which finally clears Iwao’s name of these heinous crimes."

The entire petition can be signed at:


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PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

  • SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:


    https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985

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    FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
    Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
    Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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    FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!


    Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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